Former First-Round Pick Luther Elliss Predicts Playoff Win For Lions
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
ALLEN PARK (CBS DETROIT) - Luther Elliss, the first-round pick of the Detroit Lions in 1995, made a bold and admittedly optimistic prediction Monday about his longtime team. Not only will the Lions rack up regular season wins, Elliss said, but they will advance past the first round of the playoffs.
"For sure, double-digits, wins, and we'll go at least, for sure second round," Elliss said, smiling as the comment elicited surprised looks from reporters. "If you look at what we have caliber-wise and look at [head coach Jim] Caldwell and what he's doing and just the response that these guys have and the love they have for him and the staff here, that's a good mixture for success, and that's something that you want.
"That's kind of what you're trying to strive for, any team's trying to strive for, just get that right, the chemistry correct, mixing that little petri dish and all that kind of stuff, mixing it right," Elliss said. "I think they have everything here to be successful. The question is whether they're going to continue to believe that they are who they are."
Detroit has not won a playoff game since 1991, several years before Elliss - now 10 years removed from his 10 years in the NFL - even started his career.
If the Lions do what Elliss predicts and make it into the postseason, however, he plans on being in the stands to watch.
"I will for sure want to make sure I'm there for that," Elliss said. "The mixture's right. Everything's set. Stage is set. Now they've got to just go out and do it."
